Facilities which machine custom parts are traditionally managed with a variety of paper systems. For example, time records are kept on time cards which need to be gathered and analyzed. Component drawings for a given job are created on large sheets of paper and provide the necessary dimensional and manufacturing requirements for the job. Other examples include manufacturing orders, manufacturing instructions, statistical process control (SPC) data sheets and yellow tag or discrepant component data sheets. Each of these paper systems require manpower to gather and analyze the data and physical space to store and archive the various papers.
Additionally, the nature of the paper system is susceptible to lost information, incorrect information, and information recorded in disparate documents which are not readily available to the person needing the information. Papers can be misplaced or information transcribed incorrectly. Paper systems also significantly delay responses to customer inquires because the manager must determine who is working on the job, either seek out that person or check a job board for status and sometimes determine additional information, such as why a job is suspended. The potential also exists that the information located on the job board is not current.
Therefore, a need exists for a system that can move beyond the traditional paper management systems and allow employees to enter all types of data into an easily accessible system that collects, processes and stores the data in a central location which is also easily accessible from various locations within or remote from the facility. The system needs to collect and compile employee data, such as time records, location and current assignments; and job information, such as schedules, current status and supporting documentation. The system also needs to enable managers the capability to instantly view the employee and job information so that the manager can respond to customer inquires and can quickly reallocate resources to meet scheduling requirements.